�It�s just so full of life,� I enthuse, and Max couldn�t agree less. The WOW Philippines area that they have been marketing as a tourist attraction at Intramuros, Manila was just simply enthralling that for one minute I almost wanted to believe I was in some other dimension. It was hard to think such a place resides in the heart of Lawton�the place famous for its universities and golf courses. I have been there a couple of times but it was only that Saturday night that I was presented with a different kind of Intramuros�think Mexican fiesta at half full blast. In fact, I tried holding my words back just for me not to sound so Y Tu Mama Tambien-ish, but it was just so Spanish: soft lights basking from the Spanish-style lamps dancing on the fa�ade of each old historic building. Sounds of horse heels clicking on the crooked cement roads; each clack bringing you back to the old times. Carabaos pulling the mini-trams everywhere, while benches rest coolly on the sidewalks, awaiting the guests to rest on them. The acoustic sounds wafting from the crooners complementing the romantic mood of the perfect Saturday Intramuros night.

Thank God for Max�s rambled brain that he actually suggested this place. With our faces bearing blatant disappointment from that afternoon�s Imago show at SM North which Tani, Max and I failed to catch (I being the lucky one who got to see the closing and was able to give Aia a copy of the CD I did that had Imago�s acoustic songs), we rambled from the packed nothingness of North Edsa to the sublime pretentiousness of Glorietta (uy, rhime!), where in we failed to get a copy of Level-up�s newest Ragnarok update minutes after we got there. Dinner at the Food Choices care of Max who volunteered mostly because it was our first time to meet him personally that day; laughs at the importance of smoking while checking out Temple Bar (our next destination on the 16th) when we moved on to Greenbelt afterwards. A couple of minutes and a taxi ride later, we realize Makati is nothing in terms of classic night life compared to Intramuros and its WOW Philippines wonder.

�It *is* full of energy,� Max confirms while he looks around for the possible location of the �Baluarte� we started looking for after showing them a poster about a gig featuring Color It Red, Matilda and Olympic Smoker among others at the �Baluarte.� We cling on to the hope that that place might save us from our possible RNB/Emo/Romantic songs damnation that is wafting in the air at that time. Not that we hate it, but we do have our rock needs and it just doesn�t fit our moods. Tani just looks around. To our left, a calesa is waiting for more passengers for the round trip thing; to our right are tattoo stores, one of which prides a picture that has Richard Gutierrez taking his tattoo on that store. We stop by a small serving area and got beers due to the unanimous vote to just guzzle while walking, again, sponsored by Max (he�s being his usual Advertising-y self, sponsoring here and there).

We stroll further and settle ourselves on this bench that�s near the dividing wall of the roads and the golf courses. We laugh almost boisterously, at everything that popped up on our minds. Hah. The tres musketeros at 10:40 in the evening, with no rock whatsoever nearby yet still having relatively good fun. Phanie would have wanted to be here, I reckon. Earlier we were trying to make her come with us thinking she�s living around Makati anyway, only to find out she moved to an apartment in Sta. Mesa. Noel could have been with us too but he was busy lamenting his Imago-bereft day at an office team-building thingy somewhere. There could have been other people with us that night, but it was just Max, Tani and I. Wow, bonding time with the boys.

It was getting late, though, and my mother was looking for me. Regretfully, we help ourselves find the way out of the place, going here and there. I take a last look at the site. Darn it.

�It�s okay. We�ll be back here soon,� Max tells us. I look around again and smile. Sooner, I hope. I�d miss that place too much.